Roof covering for buildings and the like



y 9, 1957 R. PIANA ROOF COVERING FOR BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE 5 SheetvSheet 1 Filed April 27, 1964 May 9, 1967 R. PIANA 3,318,055

ROOF COVERING FOR BUILDINGS AND THE-LIKE Filed April 27. 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 9, 1967 R. PIANA ROOF COVERING FOR BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE Filed April 27, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,318,055 ROOF COVERING FOR BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE Renato Piana, Cascine Vica, Turin, Italy, assignor t0 S.a.s. Skermat di Ing. Renato Piana & C., Cascine Vica, Turin, Italy Filed Apr. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 362,813 Claims priority, application Italy, May 2, 1963, 9,082/ 63 2 Claims. (Cl. 52-90) This invention relates to a roof covering for buildings and the like, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, easy to assemble and can be manufactured from materials currently available in the form of sheets, such as sheet metal, sheets of synthetic materials of various types, etc.

A primary object of this invention is to simplify roof coverings of the type considered, in which the means for engaging the anchoring members for the elements of the covering to a supporting framework are distinct from the members for interconnection of the elements of the covering.

With this object in view the covering comprises a plurality of channel-shaped elements extending in a parallel spaced relationship along the slope of the roof, matching the slope in length, and intermediate plates between the channel-shaped elements, supported by the latter, the said plates having one at least of their edges extending along the roof slope turned over for fitting into and becoming engaged by the opening in the channel-shaped elements, means being provided for anchoring the channel-shaped elements to the supporting framework for the roof covering.

According to an embodiment of the covering the channel-shaped elements can be formed directly in the marginal portions of the plates, near the edges of the latter remote from their bent over edges adapted to fit into and become engaged by the openings in the channel-shaped elements.

According to a further embodiment of the covering the channel-shaped elements and plates are distinct components thereof. The lateral edges of the plates are then bent over for fitting into and becoming engaged by the openings in the channel-shaped elements.

According to a preferred embodiment of the covering the channel-shaped elements are of trapezoidal crosssectional shape and are formed with openings along one edge adjacent the small base of the trapezoid.

Further characteristic features and advantages of the covering according to this invention shall now be described with refernce to the accompanying drawings which show embodiments thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a section of a covering according to a first embodiment,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section thereof,

FIGURE 3 is a section on line IIIIII of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a constructional detail of the covering,

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of a covering according to a further embodiment,

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the covering.

As shown on the drawings the channel-shaped elements comp-rise structural members 1 of sheet metal, plastics, or other suitable material. The elements match the roof slope in length and are of a trapezoidal curved crosssectional shape.

The structural members 1 are formed with an opening or slit along their top edges at one end of the small base of the trapezoid and extend parallel with one another in 3,3 18,05 5 Patented May 9, 1967 the direction of the roof slope and are preferably uniformly spaced.

Shaped plates 2 are arranged between the structural members 1 and are of a curved profile in cross section, their concavity facing upwardly. The plates 2 are provided with bent over lateral edges 3, 4, the edge 3 being down turned, the edge 4 being turned through beneath the plate surface so as to become engaged by the top opening or slot in the structural members 1.

The plates 2 are preferably a fraction of the length of the slope and structural members 1. The plates are laid in this case after the manner of conventional tiles by causing their longitudinal joints to be overlapped by sections 2' of the plates situated higher up on the slope.

For the sake of correct alignment of the plates of the covering at the said sections the edges 4 bent over through 180 should be cut away as indicated at 4a in FIGURE 1.

The plates 2, which are preferably made of sheet metal, but could be manufactured also of plastics or other suitable materials are of the largest possible size consistently with requirements of easy transport and assembly.

The channel-shaped elements of the covering in the form of structural members 1 are secured to cross ledges L of the roof framework by means of straps 5 in the form of gussets bearing on the inclined sides of the structural members 1 and fastened, such as by nails or rivets to the ledges of the framework.

The structural members 1 could alternatively be secured to the ledges by means of vises shown in FIGURE 4, denoted by 6, which are provided with downturned extensions 7 for fastening to the ledges L.

The supporting structural members 1 act as supports for the plates 2 of the covering and, additionally, collect and discharge any water reaching through the plate joints.

The embodiment shown in FIGURE 5 differs from the previous one in that the channel-shaped elements 1 are integral with the plates 2 and are formed by suitably bending the edges of the plates 2 remote from the edges bent through 180.

The embodiment shown in FIGURE 6 differs in turn from the one shown in FIGURE 5 in that the plates 2 are necessarily made of transparent plastics and have their edges remote from the edges forming the channel-shaped elements 1, doubled and bent on both sides to the rear of the plates, whereby the latter are at this region of a double-hooked shaped profile 4, 8, respectively. The hook 4 on each plate is engaged by the slot in the chan nel-shaped element 1 on the next plate, the hook 8 engaging one edge of a plate 9 of transparent plastics overlying the plate 2 and being bent over and having its other edge fitting into the slot in the channel-shaped element 1 integral with the plate 2. All slopes extending in the same direction on the plate 9 are provided with a coating 10, such as a paint or sheet of a suitable material which is impermeable to light rays or reflects such rays, so that the structure takes the outer aspect of a shed.

What I claim is:

1. A roof covering for buildings and the like having a sloped supporting structure comprising a plurality of elongated substantially rectangular plates each matching the slope in length and made of transparent plastic material, each of said plates being formed along one longitudinal edge portion with a channel-shaped element extending the length thereof and defining a slot directed inwardly from said one longitudinal edge portion and formed along the other longitudinal edge portion with portions bent backwardly on opposite sides of the plate defining a pair of hook-shaped elements directed inwardly from said other longitudinal edge portion, one of said hook-shaped elements engaging said channel-shaped element and extending into said slot of an adjacent plate, a plurality of second plates coextensive in length with said first mentioned plates and having longitudinal edge portions superimposed on the longitudinal edge portions of said first mentioned plates with the intermediate portions thereof bowed outwardly and spaced from said first mentioned plates, one of said longitudinal edge portions of each of said second plates extending into said slot and the other of said longitudinal edge portions of each of said second plates extending into the other of said hook-shaped elements, and means for anchoring said channel-shaped element to said sloped supporting structure.

2. A roof covering as defined in claim 1 wherein all the slopes of the outwardly bowed intermediate portions of said second plates which are angled in the same direction with respect to said first plates are coated by a material impermeable to light rays.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1873 Hyatt 52306 X 2/1939 Calkins et a1 52534 X 10/1939 Ansel 52--520 8/1955 Pennell 52-306 X 6/1964 Waring et a1 52-478 X 8/1964 Bowman 52-520 12/1965 Gregoire 52-520 X FOREIGN PATENTS 2/1954 Australia. 9/1954 Italy.

15 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examinelz KENNETH DOWNEY, Examiner. 

1. A ROOF COVERING FOR BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE HAVING A SLOPED SUPPORTING STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR PLATES EACH MATCHING THE SLOPE IN LENGTH AND MADE OF TRANSPARENT PLASTIC MATERIAL, EACH OF SAID PLATES BEING FORMED ALONG ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION WITH A CHANNEL-SHAPED ELEMENT EXTENDING THE LENGTH THEREOF AND DEFINING A SLOT DIRECTED INWARDLY FROM SAID ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION AND FORMED ALONG THE OTHER LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION WITH PORTIONS BENT BACKWARDLY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PLATE DEFINING A PAIR OF HOOK-SHAPED ELEMENTS DIRECTED INWARDLY FROM SAID OTHER LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION, ONE OF SAID HOOK-SHAPED ELEMENTS ENGAGING SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED ELEMENT AND EXTENDING INTO SAID SLOT OF AN ADJACENT PLATE, A PLURALITY OF SECOND PLATES COEXTENSIVE IN LENGTH WITH SAID FIRST MENTIONED PLATES AND HAVING LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS SUPERIMPOSED ON THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED PLATES WITH THE INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS THEREOF BOWED OUTWARDLY AND SPACED FROM SAID FIRST MENTIONED PLATES, ONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID SECOND PLATES EXTENDING INTO SAID SLOT AND THE OTHER OF SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID SECOND PLATES EXTENDING INTO THE OTHER OF SAID HOOK-SHAPED ELEMENTS, AND MEANS FOR ANCHORING SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED ELEMENT TO SAID SLOPED SUPPORTING STRUCTURE. 